-15- 



them to exertion. The laziest and the most useless hawks — 

 hawks that will scarcely follow a slow pigeon — will do 

 their best to beat a woodcock and will very soon, if the 

 sport be continued, be improved in their style of flying. 

 Snipes may be killed by first class tiercels in favor ablp 

 localities. Wild ducks and teal are only to be flown at 

 when they can be fo\md in small brooks and ponds at a dis- 

 tance tance from much water, — where the fowl can be suddenly 

 flushed by dogs or men while the falcon is flying at her 

 pitch overhead. For ducks, falcons should be used; tiercels 

 will kill teal well. 



The merlin is used for flying at larks, and there does 

 not seem to be any other use to which this pretty little 

 falcon can fairly be put. It is very active, but far from 

 being, as some authors have stated, the swiftest of the 

 hawks. It's flight is greatly inferior in speed and power 

 to that of the peregrine. Perhaps it's diminuitive size, 

 causing it to be soon lost to view, and a limited acquaintance 

 with the flight of the wild peregrine falcon, have led to 

 the mistake. 



The hobby is far swifter than the merlin, but it 

 cannot be said to be as efficient in the field; it may be 

 trained to wait on beautifully, but it will seldom take 

 larks; it is very much given to the fault of "carrying". 



The three great northern falcons are not eas^; to procure 

 in proper condition for training. They are very difficult 

 to break to the hood and to manage in the field. They are 

 flown, like the peregrine, at rooks and herons, and in 

 former days were used for kites and hares. Their style 

 of flight is magnificent; they are considerably swifter 

 than the peregrine, and are most deadly "footers". They 

 seem, however, to lack somewhat of the spirit and dash of 

 the peregrine. 



For the short-winged hawks an open country is not 

 required; indeed they may be flown in a wood. Goshawks 

 are flown at hares, Rabbits, pheasants, partridges and 

 wildfowl. Only ver^trong females are able to take hares; 

 rabbits are an easy quarry for any female goshawk, and a 

 little too strong for the male. A good female goshawk may 

 kill from 10 to 15 rabbits in a day, or more. For pheasants 

 the male is to be preferred, certainly for partridges; 

 either sex will take ducks and teal, but the falconer 

 must get close to them before they are flushed, or the 

 goshawk will stand a poor chance of killing. Rabbit 

 hawking may be accomplished be ferreting, and flying the 

 hawks as the rabbits bolt, but care must be taken or the 

 hawk will kill the ferret. Where rabbits sit out on grass 

 or in turnip fields, a goshawk may be use'd with success, 

 even in a wood when the holes are not too near. For various 

 reasons it is impossible, or nearly so, to have goshawks in 



